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Infantry
From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantry Wikipedia]: "Infantry is the branch of a military force that fights on foot — troops specifically trained to engage, fight, and defeat the enemy in face-to-face combat, and thus bear the brunt of warfare, suffering the greatest number of casualties. Historically, as the oldest branch of the combat arms, the infantry are the tip of the spear of a modern army, and continually undergo training that is more physically stressful and psychologically demanding than that of any other branch of the combat arms, or of the army, emphasizing teamwork in the deployment of spontaneous, sustained aggression." In Serva, Infantry form the bulk of any modern military force. They are extremely versatile and can be armed with a variety of weapons, from standard Small Arms to MANPADs and ATGMs, along with a plethora of heavy support weapons such as heavy rapid-fire coilguns and coil-mortars. In an age of starships with weapons that can destroy continents from orbit, one may wonder what purpose the common infantryman serves. A nation's Astrofleet is still its most important military asset in general, but as a Planetary Force, infantry may be the most important arm of that branch. Let's explore why. #Nuking a planet from orbit is not always (in fact, very rarely) the best way to go about doing something. In addition, even if it were, your enemy is probably largely safe from the effects of the bombardment thanks to his deployment of a Tachyon Field. You could in theory siege a planet completely from orbit without sending troops down, but this would be a very long siege that would tie down astrofleet assets and may cost you more than it would cost the enemy. This is because tachyon fields can stay deployed forever until the power supply runs out, which can only happen if the city runs out of Helium-3. Because a developed city can probably still produce this fuel while under siege, such bombardment may take years to see any results. Thus, the only way to effectively deal with a tachyon field is to deploy boots on the ground. #The nature of interstellar warfare means that one does not need protracted ground campaigns across open countryside to reach a target. Generally, one can simply drop infantry troops right into the combat zone (or at least within a few kilometers of it). Since this combat zone is either a Defense Station/Fortress or an urban center, taking place in rugged terrain in close quarters, ground vehicles may have limited effectiveness. Infantry will be most useful. #Infantry are relatively cheap to muster and produce equipment for. Every backwater frontier world will at least be able to put to field a couple thousand militia armed with battle rifles and hard armour, perhaps a few Dumbfires. Even this basic equipment, if the soldiers are well-lead, well-trained, and confident, is enough to offer a decent foundation for defense. History has shown that the less-advanced force can stand up to a more advanced one if in a city, where the advantages in range that superior technology offers get cancelled out. In short, ground combat generally takes place in cities and fortresses and thus by extension favor infantry, whose best properties are their flexibility and mobility in these types of battlescapes. Even when there is a protracted ground campaign that may involve maneuvering at the strategic level, while it would be a good idea to bring light and heavy vehicles as well as artillery and airframes, these vehicles are there to support the infantry (or in the case of tanks, be supported by them in turn). Intelligent use of combined arms, then as now, is critical to success. Some of what makes infantry useful in the modern world also coincides with what makes a planetary force necessary in general. Take for example outskirts battles and skirmishes that are part of a siege (see the Siege of Awugheswt) and thus may cover a large area, liberation campaigns and total invasions of well-developed worlds (see the Solovh Campaign) that may necessitate the capturing of several cities, combating as well as conducting insurgencies, civil wars in general (as it is rather difficult to pacify your enemies with nukes from orbit without also alienating your supporters) whether one or more planets is involved, and other situations that may come up as a war escalates and evolves. Equipment Infantry can be armed and equipped with a variety of different armaments and assets. This makes them very versatile - able to deal with almost any situation. Small Arms Small Arms are the weapons carried by infantry which are typically best at fighting other infantry. They are "small" caliber ranged weapons. They are best for suppressing enemy troops and light vehicles, and accuracy or actually dealing lethal blows with these weapons tend to be lower priorities. If ballistics weapons are used, small arms rounds are designed to wound rather than kill - slowing down the enemy by forcing him to tend to his wounded. Even with modern medical technology, battlefield medicine is still lackluster by comparison to a true hospital. Rifles Rifle in some ways is an obsolete term, referring to the grooving of a Firearm's barrel to impart a spin on the projectile, improving flight stability and by extension range and accuracy. These days, since weapons are either lasers (for which rifling makes no sense) or coilguns wherein the projectile is suspended in a magnetic field rather than griping the sides of a metal barrel, the technique of rifling is obsolete. However, the usage of the word 'rifle' to describe any long-arm that requires two hands to wield has not fallen out of use. This is why you will see some weapons described as "laser rifle" for example. Battle Rifle Whether beamgun or coilgun, a battle rifle is a weapon with greater range and power than an assault rifle. These weapons are typically semi-automatic, and form up the most commonly issued primary weapons in the galaxy, particularly coilgun battle rifles. They are superior to other weapons in suppressive fire and materials penetration. A Real life example would be the FNFAL. Assault Rifle Assault rifles are the jack of all trades weapons - a careful balance of range, accuracy, and firepower. If assault coilguns or beamguns were more practical, they would probably be more common than battle rifles. Squads of men with assault rifles may have the odd battle rifle as their designated marksman's rifle. Real life examples include the M16 and AK74. Designated Marksman's Rifle DMR's are weapons issued to the 'designated marksman' of a squad, typically the most proficient member. Marksmen fill the gap between the common soldiers range of engagement (usually out to 500 meters) and the sniper's deployment (up to two kilometers). As such, these weapons are medium-range and need to be effective in terms of accuracy and, in the case of coilguns, terminal ballistics, out to these distances. Many marksman's rifles are simply adapted versions of battle or assault rifles. Real life examples include the SR25 and F88S Austeyr. Sniper Rifle Rarely, snipers may be deployed. They can be useful in urban scenarios, in taking out high-priority targets, or in stealthy search-and-destroy missions. Sniper rifles may even be disposable, single-shot weapons in some cases. Real life examples include the M24 and Barrett. Pistols Pistols are sidearms, given to soldiers as a backup weapon for various situations - if their primary weapon breaks, is lost, or has no ammunition/energy, then a pistol is better than one's bare hands. Pistols are almost always lasers, as coilpistols are inadequate and impractically heavy and bulky for a sidearm. In some cases, such as a lack of laser weapons, pistols can also be Firearms. Pistols being issued to soldiers is actually a major advantage, one that only came to be realized after quite some time. However, many planets may choose to forgo the production and usage of pistols, as having to make two weapons per person may strain an already primitive industrial infrastructure. Light Artillery Ever since the early days of organized forces of infantry starting with industrialization and mass production being integrated with war ('Total War') infantry formations have integrated artillery companies. Infantry artillery is always lighter than true artillery - recoilless rifles, pack guns, and mortars, which provide Direct Fire Support to infantry against emplacements and fortified positions as well as vehicles. Anti-Tank Small arms and even light artillery will struggle to damage heavy vehicles with any degree of effectiveness. As such, an important asset to the infantry are the heavy weapons designed to punch through armour and neutralize these targets. These weapons are typically a rocket-based platform, but they can also be heavy beams. They can also exist as anti-tank landmines, prepared in advance to slow down enemy armoured columns. Infantry without strong anti-tank weapons are often forced to rely on tank traps and ditches. While a tried and true way of dealing with armour, it requires meticulous and prolonged preparation, and if used too often, can be easily countered. Support Weapons Support weapons are usually machine guns of different types. Depending on the infantry's role, training, or the situation at hand, Support weapons can vary between light, man-portable machine guns, to heavier weapons with coolant systems that require multiple men to load, aim, and fire. Support weapons allow for infantry to lay down suppressive fire, provide covering fire, and even damage or stun light vehicles and deny passage to enemy forces. They are particularly effective at enabling infantry to hold positions against other infantry. It is estimated the 10% of all casualties inflicted in a ground engagement are caused by support weapons. This makes support weapons the second most deadly asset in ground warfare, after artillery. Note that, technically, support weapons could be considered 'small arms' due to their small caliber. Whether a machine gun is a support weapon or a small arm is pretty much an arbitrary line drawn down to what purpose the weapon is intended to fulfill. Armour Body armour serves a double purpose. It not only allows for infantry to survive direct hits from bullets and lasers, but it creates and insulated micro-climate which allows for the soldier to operate and fight in a variety of environments, such as different planets. Armour often comes in two varieties: hard and soft. Hard armour is cast from strong metallic alloys, whose raw tensile strength allows them to withstand the physical tension of bullets, and these solid structures are also harder for lasers to melt through or resonate than the human body. Hard armour is the most easily affordable armour to equip an army with, as the materials used in soft armour are harder to make. Hard armour usually consists of a cuirass or breastplate, paired with a helmet. Sometimes, however, greaves or shoulder pads can be added to allow for increased protection. Soft armour is superior to hard armour, but may be more resource-intensive to mass produce. Rather than being cast out of metal, soft armour is typically a combination of very tough fabrics, such as kevlar or dragonskin. Soft armour is better at taking explosive or concussive damage than hard armour, as metals have a rigid nature and may crack rather than bend when exposed to these forces. A lot of armour is made from nano-composites, whose microscope laces allow for extremely efficient wound treatment and first aid for soldiers. Electronic Some of the infantryman's most important equipment is the electronics and computers that provide him access to important information, communications, logistics, and rapid medical attention. Special